


Let's Do The Time Warp

by PuppetMaster55



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Shiro (Voltron), GUESS WHAT Y'ALL ARE GETTING RYOU, Post-Canon Fix-It, Road Trips, Time Travel, alright fine canon happened but also let's just fix things so they're less terrible, it's time for the space road trip fix-it we both need and deserve, lion-paladin bonds, the road trip found family we also need and deserve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29680002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppetMaster55/pseuds/PuppetMaster55
Summary: In a blink, a flash, Shiro goes from fighting Zarkon in Voltron, to a future where everything's changed and gone wrong.And now, he's going to make things right, with the help of his friends.
Relationships: Ryou/Curtis
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Let's Do The Time Warp

In one blink, one flash of light that had Shiro shut his eyes in protection, everything changed. He went from being inside the Black Lion to floating in empty space over a planet. His helmet had closed shut somewhere in the blink, and it left Shiro with more questions. Was this the Black Lion's power? Had he been teleported somewhere? And could he manage to avoid getting pulled into crashing into the atmosphere and burning on entry?

Shiro reached for his gauntlet, pulling up the screen and opening comms on all channels. If there was a Galra presence, then he could be in trouble. If there wasn't, then at least he could find an ally.

First things first, though, Shiro had to stop floating in space.

“This is Takashi Shirogane, Paladin of Voltron. I am in open space, and request assistance. Can anyone copy?” In the distance, Shiro saw ships enter the planet's atmosphere. The planet itself was beautiful, with what looked like multiple orbital rings stretching out from several small moons. He thought, if he squinted, he could see the movement of ships between the orbital rings, and even the light of ships traveling up from lower atmo. “This is Takashi Shirogane, Paladin of Voltron. I am in open space above your planet, without a ship, and request immediate assistance. Can anyone copy?”

A ship rose from the planet's surface, huge and boxy and if Shiro didn't know any better he would have guessed it was almost like an Earth design. The comms buzzed.

“This is the IGF-Atlas. We are on course to intercept. Please repeat your name.” The voice sounded familiar, and Shiro's brow furrowed. It sounded almost like–

“Veronica?” Shiro blinked. “Uh. My name is Takashi Shirogane. Veronica, is that you?”

It couldn't be. This wasn't Earth, and the Galaxy Garrison _literally_ wasn't in the same solar system as technology to allow them this level of space travel.

“I will repeat, this is the IGF-Atlas. We are on course to intercept. We are about to have visual on you.” Veronica—because that _had_ to be Veronica, unless it was an alien that sounded _exactly_ like her—spoke coolly and calmly. “Remain calm, and this will all be sorted out shortly.”

The ship came closer, and a small fighter jet, one that had to be from Earth, came out. Shiro stared as it approached.

“Hey, Mister Not-Captain, this is Second Lieutenant Rizavi of the MFEs flying out to pick you up.” The woman sounded cheery, and Shiro very dearly wanted answers. Was this Earth? What had _happened_ in that fight with Zarkon? “I gotta say, I'm really digging that Voltron Paladin armor you're wearing. And Black too! That's real vintage.”

Shiro stared, trying to understand what it was that was happening. Whoever this Rizavi person was, she knew about Voltron and recognized his armor, but... vintage?

An answer started forming in Shiro's mind, one that he really hoped wasn't the case. The Earth technology, the familiarity of Veronica's voice, the way they were talking about Voltron and how his particular armor was 'vintage'...

The fighter came to a stop beside Shiro, and he activated his booster jet to meet it. The cockpit opened, pilot dressed for space in a redesigned version of the Galaxy Garrison's flight uniform gesturing for Shiro to take the empty seat behind her. Swinging into the seat, Shiro settled in as the cockpit closed and the fighter turned back to the ship—the Atlas.

“So are you another clone of the Captain?” Rizavi's voice came through clear on the comms, and Shiro started. Clone? He wasn't– he couldn't be–

He wasn't. It had only be a small time, but Shiro was certain that he would have known if he wasn't the real Takashi Shirogane.

“I'm not a clone. I'm the only me I know.” More details came into play, forming more to the theory.

“Ooh, well. Sorry you had to learn this way.” Rizavi shrugged, and Shiro turned his attention to the Atlas, wanting to know who was in there. “Where did you get the armor? I didn't think there was any more than the ones in the museum.”

“It's mine. And from the Castle of Lions.” Shiro figured that Rizavi was the chatty sort to at least give him some answers. “What year is it?”

“The year?” Rizavi hummed. “Back on Earth time, it's 2189.”

Shiro froze.

Five years.

He was five years in the future.

“Oh.” Five years lost, worse than his lost year. At least there he had started recovering his memories. Was this what the Black Lion could do? “That... makes things complicated. Do you... know about Zarkon?”

“That dead emperor?” Rizavi glanced back at Shiro, concern in her eyes. “You _really_ are out of the loop, aren't you.”

“I told you, I'm not a clone.” Shiro wasn't, but he was starting to get an idea of who was a clone. And Zarkon... “We beat him? We won?”

“Yeah, there's a lot that happened out here in space.” Rizavi turned back to flying the fighter, and Shiro's attention was drawn to the Atlas as they entered the landing bay, a group of familiar faces standing nearby.

Shiro nearly collapsed climbing out of the fighter to see them.

It had been too long since last he had seen Sam Holt.

“Commander Holt!” Shiro smiled, taking off his helmet. Sam stared at Shiro, eyes wide. Beside him, Colleen stood, with Veronica, and Iverson, and...

Shiro stopped, staring at his own face. At his clone's face.

They really did look identical, but for the way the clone's hair had gone bone white, and the complete loss of the right arm, a port in place of the shoulder and a forearm floating at his side.

“So.” Shiro couldn't look away from his clone. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”

“We do.” The clone—the captain of the Atlas, Shiro realized—wore a different uniform to the rest, his coat white with black on the shoulders and lone sleeve. “I admit, this wasn't what I expected.”

“Neither did I.” Shiro finally tore his gaze away, to look at Sam. He looked older, having grown a beard. There was more gray in Colleen's hair as well, and they both had lines around their eyes, wrinkles of age that neither had the last time Shiro had seen either of them. “I don't think anyone would expect to jump five years into the future.”

“You–” Sam's gaze snapped from Shiro to the clone, eyes gleaming with familiar curiosity. “A time loop?”

“No.” The clone shook his head. “There was never a time loop.” He sighed. “I suppose this _would_ happen just in time for the reunion.”

“Reunion?” Shiro wanted answers yesterday. What had happened in the last five years? “What did I miss?”

“Everything, it feels like.” The clone shrugged, glancing at everyone. “I'll take things from here.”

“If you're certain.” Iverson tapped Veronica on the shoulder, gesturing for her to come with as he turned away. “We will want a debriefing later, Shirogane. You can't get out of this one by claiming that Voltron bond.”

“I doubt I can, sir.” Shiro responded, bemused. Iverson stopped, looking back and squinting as both Shiro and the clone. After a moment, Iverson sighed and rubbed at his face.

“I really don't know why I expected anything else.” Iverson led the procession away, Rizavi lagging behind and giving Shiro a considering look.

“You look weird without all the white hair, Not-Captain.” Rizavi tilted her head. “This is a good look on you, though. Really good.”

“Eyes front, Lieutenant.” The clone sounded amused, and Rizavi laughed as she went to another part of the hangar bay.

“Don't forget to introduce him to your husband, Captain.” Shiro jerked at the word. Husband?

Who did the clone marry?

“He isn't Adam.” Shiro glanced at the clone, noticing how sad he looked. “I'm sorry to have to say this, but he died almost 3 years ago.”

“Oh.” Shiro knew that Adam's warning had the weight of the end of their relationship, but Shiro hadn't considered that it would be the truth. There was no future, no closure, for them. “Is there... a grave?”

“A memorial to everyone lost.” The clone kept looking at Shiro. “Sendak attacked Earth.”

“Sendak?” Shiro gasped, turning his gaze toward Earth. That Galra really was too dangerous.

“He died.” The clone closed his eyes. “What's the last thing you remember before waking up here? It will help for everyone to know what you need caught up on.”

Five years. Zarkon dead. Sendak dead. Adam dead, and Earth attacked. There was too much for Shiro to catch up on.

“The fight against Zarkon. We were winning, and struck the final blow. Zarkon made one last attempt to take control of the Black Lion, and I got sent... here. To Earth.” And lost five years in the process. What had happened with the other Paladins, with Allura and Coran? Had they defeated Haggar?

“New Altea.” The clone gave Shiro a rueful smile. “This isn't Earth.”

“New Altea?” Shiro's brow furrowed. “But I thought Altea was destroyed.”

“It was. And then it was rebuilt.” The clone's gaze went cloudy, smile falling away. “We lost a lot to gain all of this.”

“How much?” Shiro couldn't look away. “What did we lose?”

The clone sighed, gesturing for Shiro to follow him toward another ship, looking similar to an Altean podship.

“It's a long story, and I think the rest of the Paladins should tell you.” The clone looked back at Shiro. “You're really lucky to arrive on the day of the reunion. It isn't easy to find them when we're all over the place.”

Shiro frowned, but followed. He desperately needed answers, and trusted his friends to tell him everything.

“What do I call you?” Shiro couldn't keep referring to him as the clone. He wouldn't do that.

“I've been thinking about that.” He chuckled. “How does Ryou sound?”

The name of the brother Shiro almost had.

“It sounds perfect.” Shiro grinned at Ryou, boarding the ship to reunite with his fellow Paladins. Together, they could do anything.


End file.
